Recognizing National Stalking Awareness, Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month

The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center recognizes, centers and uplifts the tireless work of Native advocates and programs in Indian Country and Hawaii as they shine a light on human trafficking and stalking this January as National Stalking Awareness, Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month. As a national Native-led nonprofit organization dedicated to ending violence against Native women and children, NIWRC strongly supports the efforts to raise awareness of these crimes, given American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians experience some of the highest rates of sex trafficking and stalking in the United States.

Each year, thousands of victims of human trafficking are targeted and taken advantage of, where Indigenous people are at a higher risk of human trafficking, sex trafficking and labor trafficking than other populations. Indigenous groups in the U.S. - including American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians - are especially at risk.1 American Indians and Alaska Natives are also disproportionately affected by stalking, where nearly half of Native women and one in 10 Native men have experienced stalking.

A critical component of our work at NIWRC involves lifting up the voices of Tribal Nations and advocates in the call for safety, sovereignty and justice for victims of trafficking and stalking in their communities. We exist to provide support in raising awareness of these crimes alongside Native advocates as well as offer technical assistance and training, resources, and policy development specific to these issues. Our work will continue to center the experiences of Native victim-survivors of violence and support the sovereign rights of Indigenous Nations to increase safety for their citizens to prevent future acts of violence against Native women and children.

We invite you to join the efforts in raising awareness of human trafficking on January 11th for National Human Trafficking Awareness Day by wearing blue clothing and posting it on social media with the hashtag #WearBlueDay. Please make sure to visit NIWRC’s social media pages throughout the month of January for resources on stalking and trafficking in support of Tribal Nations and programs supporting victims in our communities.

Read the full statement here: https://bit.ly/3bBnV5r